The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 eBook

SECTION CCXXVI

“Markandeya continued, The planets with their
satellites, the Rishis and the Mothers, Agni and numerous
other blazing courtiers and many other dwellers of
heaven of terrible mien, waited on Mahasena along with
the Mothers. And the illustrious sovereign of
the gods, desirous of victory but believing success
to be doubtful mounted his elephant Airavata and attended
by the other gods advanced towards Skanda. That
mighty being followed by all the celestials was armed
with his thunderbolt. And with the object of
slaying Mahasena, he marched with terrible celestial
army of great-splendour, sounding their shrill war-cry
and furnished with various sorts of standards, with
warriors encased in various armour and armed with
numerous bows and riding on various animals. When
Mahasena beheld the gloriously decked Sakra, attired
in his best clothes, advancing with the determination
of slaying him, he (too on his part) advanced to meet
that chief of the celestials. O Partha, the mighty
Vasava, the lord of the celestials, then uttered a
loud shout, to encourage his warriors and marching
rapidly with the view of killing ‘Agnis’
son and praised by Tridasas[75] and great Rishis, he
at length reached the abode of Kartikeya. And
then he shouted out with other gods; and Guha too
in response to this, uttered a fearful war-cry resembling
the roaring of the sea. On hearing that noise,
the celestial army behaved like an agitated sea, and
was stunned and fixed to the spot. And that son
of Pavaka (the Fire-god) beholding the gods come near
to him with the object of killing him, was filled
with wrath, and gave out rising flame of fire from
within his mouth. And these flames destroyed the
celestial forces struggling on the ground. Their
heads, their bodies, their arms and riding animals
were all burnt in that conflagration and they appeared
all on a sudden like stars displaced from their proper
spheres. Thus afflicted, the god renounced all
allegiance to the thunder bolt, and sought the protection
of Pavaka’s son; and thus peace was again secured.
When he was thus forsaken by the gods, Sakra hurled
his thunder-bolt at Skanda. It pierced him on
the right side; and, O great king, it passed through
the body of that high-souled being. And from being
struck with the thunder-bolt, there arose from Skanda’s
body another being—­a youth with a club
in hand, and adorned with a celestial amulet.
And because he was born on account of the piercing
of the thunder-bolt, he was named Visakha. And
Indra, when he beheld that another person looking like
the fierce destroying Fire-god had come into being
was frightened out of his wits and besought the protection
of Skanda, with the palms of his hands joined together
(as a mark of respect). And that excellent being
Skanda, bade him renounce all fear, with his arm.
The gods were then transported with joy, and their
hands too struck up.”